Back to the Future: The Evolution of Sun Microsystems' Business Model (1982 to 2007)
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Back to the Future: The Evolution of Sun Microsystems' Business Model (1982 to 2007)

by Henry W. Chesbrough, Margarita Constantinides


This case study outlines the time period between 1982 and 2007 of Sun Microsystems. The case showcases the company's long history with open source software and open innovation, as well as its history of proprietary software and proprietary technology. With the company's announcement in 2006 that it would make much of its proprietary software available under open source terms, the company was again re-entering an open innovation phase, with the hope that the strategy would drive adoption of its software and thus increase revenue and profitability. By 2007, Sun Microsystems seemed to be on a path back to its more open technology roots and the case study ends at that point in the company's history.

Learning Objectives

The main case study objective is to teach students how to think through open innovation during a longer period of history within a well-known company, Sun Microsystems. The case study allows students to map the history of Sun while evaluating its various shifts from an open approach to a more proprietary approach.

Details

Pub Date: Nov 30, 2008

Discipline: Strategy

Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture capital, Innovation, Technology, Corporate strategy

Product #: B5689-PDF-ENG

Industry: Technology,Venture capital

Length: 19 page(s)

Berkeley Haas Case Series
Berkeley Haas Case Series The Berkeley Haas Case Series is a collection of business case studies written by faculty members at the Haas School of Business. Cases are conceived, developed, written, and published throughout the year, on subjects ranging from entrepreneurship and strategy to finance and marketing. Each case includes a teaching note for use in the classroom.
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The aim of the Berkeley Haas Case Series is to incite business innovation by clarifying disruptive trends and questioning the status quo.

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